A Promise Best Left Broken
by Evan Rasler
Summary: What if there was another explanation for the inconsistencies in Cloud's memory? What if he discovered that an even more wonderful lie veiled an unbearable truth? Slightly AU
1. Gamble of the Bond

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just so you know, I'm now living in an apartment on a campus with three other people. It's somewhat difficult to get privacy and I'd feel uncomfortable being caught typing a romantic/emotional story, so don't get pissed that I'm only updating this in small fragments. Though unintentional, some facts may conflict with those presented in the game on account of the fact that I haven't played it in a while. That said, I hope you enjoy this one.

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"Cold?"

"Freezing," she managed to squeeze the word out between jagged, rushed breaths.

The brunette's arms were wrapped around her own ribs, the upper half of her frame slightly hunched over. Though the man across from her could've easily enjoyed the sight of her cleavage on account of her posture, he didn't avert his gaze from her crimson irises.

"Why don't you ever wear a long-sleaved shirt or pants, Tifa?"

"You don't think I'd love to?! I can't fight well in those types of clothes. Believe me, I've tried."

"Were you expecting to roundhouse kick the vending machines for free candy tonight?"

She froze and glared at him for a moment before grinning.

"Shut up."

A hint of a smirk showed up on Cloud's face before he glanced towards the window.

"'Always be prepared for the unexpected.' Those were Zangan's words," she muttered the conclusion of her statement upon noticing that Cloud was distracted by something from the outside.

Squinting his eyes, he got up and walked in front of the square opening that distinguished one wall of the gondola from the others. There was definitely a tremendous gust of cold wind pouring in through it, but it didn't bother him enough to back down from what he saw.

"Holy shit."

"What?"

"The view is so much better when you're standing over here. Come here for a sec', Tifa."

"I'll get frost bite if I go near that window, Cloud. I'm sure it's…"

Her view of the wooden floorboards was obstructed by a hand that was clad in dark brown leather.

"You can't always play it safe. Sometimes you just have to say "Fuck it" and go with your gut."

Struck by his words, she couldn't help but let him lift her up from her seat and guide her to the window. Her long hair danced with a fierce passion in response to the gusts and she cringed and gritted her teeth. Just as she was about to back away, a blanket of heat encompassed her body. She looked down to find Cloud's arms around her waist and collarbone. Blood rushing to her face, her mouth parted slightly to allow the escape of her voice before she bit her bottom lip.

A meager handful of seconds passed, the two marveling at the fireworks that turned a once mundane sky into a majestic piece of art.

"I had that epiphany when I saw you hanging out with Johnny's gang once and guess what, Tif."

"Wha-what?"

"To this day, it's the best risk I've ever taken."

Craning his neck, he kissed her on one cheek and gently caressed part of her left arm with his right hand. He thought he heard a sharp intake of breath, but wasn't sure if the icy winds were responsible or not. His abnormal, bright blue eyes were fixed on her face, which was mostly obscured by the undulating waves that comprised her hair. Cloud could only tolerate seeing no reaction from her for 10 seconds.

A pang of nausea assaulted his abdomen. He made such a mistake. He was letting himself become too vulnerable again. As if she was one of the scorching bombs near Corel that was about to detonate, he immediately tore his arms away from her and withdrew from the slightly shorter woman.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It was stupid of me," Cloud said hastily.

He saw her lower her head a bit and shake it from side to side slightly. She brought a hand up to her field of vision and began to remove the red glove that guarded it.

"Isn't it so difficult, Cloud?" she asked as she turned to look at him.

A nervous expression graced his face, one that he couldn't identify on hers. She proceeded to walk towards him slowly, dropping the glove that formerly embraced a deadly fist onto the floor.

"Being old friends..."

She stopped about a foot from him and grabbed his left wrist.

"I mean...timing is everything..."

Feminine fingers helped remove a dark brown glove.

"Right?" was the last of her question as she threaded her warm, smooth digits through the gaps between his own. No fabric intervened in the gesture. She stared up lovingly into his eyes and noticed that he'd regained his composure.

"Cloud. I..."

Her newfound courage hit a roadblock. She looked like she wanted to finish that last sentence badly, but her resolve wavered. She ceased drowning in mako-blue eyes momentarily.

"...hate you?" asked Cloud with a cheesy, puzzled look on his face. That got him a (mostly) playful slap on the cheek and then a shove that sent him stumbling backwards. Fortunately, a bench broke his fall.

"Really? You gotta ruin this now by talking?" she inquired, crossing her arms over her torso and staring at him, eyes half-closed with pity. Cloud's eyes went wide and he shrugged.

"Well, I don't know what you're trying to say! 'I'm kupo for kupo nuts?' 'I'm really a dude in disguise?' Speak up, woman!"

A rare, broad smile appeared on her countenance. By now, she'd approached her quarry and sat partially on his lap. It was Cloud's turn to become red in the face as his childhood companion linked both of her arms behind his neck and brought her face in dangerously close. Her smile from before faded; she was very serious now. Just as it looked like she was about to close the distance from an inch to nothing, she said something softly.

"I love you...more than anything and anyone, Cloud Strife."

The ex-mercenary didn't have time to say it back or make another quip. Tifa was all too swift in going in for the kill. Cloud mentally prayed that he wasn't dreaming. Tears left trails on the immaculate skin of her facial features. Their minds dismissed the flow of time as they kissed for the first time in their lives.

A third party cleared their throat. The two didn't notice.

"Excuse me. Hey!"

Lips parted as the surrounding environment was acknowledged once again. The couple noticed a male employee peering in through the doorway. The gondola had stopped moving.

"Either get a room or pay up. Ride's over, folks."

They joined hands as they stepped out onto solid concrete. A frown was directed towards them by a middle-aged woman as her husband and child passed them to board the attraction at the head of a line that had formed in their absence. The very young child addressed her much older mother.

"Mommy, what were they doing in there?"

NOTE: If any of you like happy endings, I advise you to stop reading here. It gets pretty damn depressing from here on out for Cloud. Poor bastard. Constructive criticism is welcome.


	2. Cancerous Doubt

A loud rumble issued forth from one of the large, plastic tubes that lined the circular perimeter of Gold Saucer's main lobby. Upon the pinnacle of the commotion, a life-sized doll resembling a moogle rolled out and was soon joined by a petite, crowned cat. Disoriented, the sentient feline picked itself up off the ground as it began the process of determining where everything integral to its current task was located.

"Uggh. Son of a bitch! Those tubes are brutal," the cat stated, oddly, without moving its mouth.

"Keep it PG, cat. There are kids around."

Cait Sith became like a statue briefly before responding.

"Cloud?" it said, a taste of fear evident in its voice. The white jaw it possessed once again functioned. Its furry cranium spun about until it spotted two individuals.

"And Tifa...What are you doing up so late?" the tiny one went on, barely able to hide the fact that it was annoyed at this unexpected turn of events.

"Oh, we just had to discuss the neighborhood bake sale in private. It's a guilty pleasure of ours," mused Cloud.

"Cloud was sweet enough to take me on a date tonight, Cait Sith," answered Tifa.

"You forced me out of my room!" Cloud shouted, glancing in her direction.

The martial artist didn't register his words once she'd realized Cait Sith's predicament. Donning a sympathetic persona, she took a step towards their fallen ally.

"Are you okay? Wait. Let me give you a hand."

"No, no, no, no, no! This isn't the first time it's happened. Just go back to the hotel. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," it pleaded shortly before heaving a perturbed sigh, for Tifa had gently scooped up the caped cat.

"What kind of friend would I be if I just left you here? Besides, two minutes of lost sleep isn't going to kill me," she said.

Having sprinted over to the large doll, Cloud dug his fingertips into the fuzzy epidermis of the massive beast and hoisted it up onto its rabbit-like feet. While Tifa was busy reaching up to return the social feline to its perch atop its conveyance, Cloud decided to continue the conversation from before, hitting his hands together to shake free invisible traces of dirt and dust.

"Maybe it's time you told us what you're...doing..." the group's leader trailed off. Something colorful within the confines of the doll's left hand diverted his focus.

"What the Hell are--AUGH!!!" harboring the speed of a rocket, a massive, white fist was driven into the abdomen of the blonde hero, cutting his statement short. Simultaneously, a similar palm covered Tifa's face and then sent her flying six feet backwards. She slid an additional eight feet until, with nearly perfect execution, she twisted and slammed an open palm into the floor. Her figure spiraled a fair distance off the ground and only stayed in place when her soles had met sure footing once more. Her stance resembled a football player's. The rogue entity did not make the mistake of underestimating the disciplined woman's agility. Paws scrambled for the rungs of a rope ladder within another chute during the time in which Tifa assessed her lover's condition. He was doubled over and having difficulty breathing.

"He's...got the Keystone," Cloud blurted out, his sharp panting rivaling that of a marathon runner.

"Do you need a medic?" the girl crouched down and gripped his shoulders.

"Forget about me. I'll catch up with you," he insisted, keeping his eyes trained on the colorful floor as he shook his head. Her blond knight made a motion to get up on his knees.

"Stop moving. You need to lie down," she lifted up the bottom of his shirt while she spoke.

"What are you doing?! Tifa! We're going to lose him!" Cloud berated her. He roughly pushed her hand away from his abdomen.

She frowned at him.

"Where is he going to go, Cloud?! They still haven't fixed the trolley. Sorry for valuing your health over getting a stupid rock back."

Grunts of discomfort constituted the only feedback that the young lady would gather. Cloud, with painstaking movements, finally conquered the sensation of sore muscles and jarred organs that had subdued him up until this moment.

"Doesn't mean someone isn't already here waiting for him. That bastard could be making an exchange as we speak," said Cloud.

"Shit!" she whispered to herself, realization dawning.

"You take Speed, Battle, and Ghost!" he ordered, making tracks for the passage to Wonder Square.

Six minutes of perceiving goofy drawings and arcade machines as a single blur, knocking over workers in chocobo costumes, and asking rapid-fire questions for the ears of civilians later, the strenuous game of cat-and-mouse was nearing its finale.

One bulky traitor reared the now significant arm of its robotic throne backwards, ready to let the Keystone soar to new heights. Suddenly, an angry growl echoed from an adjacent tunnel a split-second before Cloud lunged from the darkness. A purple, black, and white avalanche barreled down the length of the staircase that led to the chocobo races.

"Eraggh! God damn it!" roared Cait Sith. Powerless without his battle body close, the spy could only watch helplessly as the persistent human dove once more for the only thing in the world that could unlock the Temple of the Ancients.

Shots rang out fast and furious. Agile as he was, Cloud Strife wasn't able to prevent a bullet from forcing its way through skin, capillaries, and bone matter in his right elbow. Clutching the wound in pain, he witnessed jets of plaster particles erupt amongst porcupines of sparks, forming a perimeter around the Keystone. Blood oozed from the injury while he took refuge in another tunnel. The minigun withdrew its vile percussion from the campy symphony that all the attractions of the amusement park forged. Helicopter propellers shortly replaced it. The incessant noise was all too familiar for him by now.

"Why?! I want to know why!" demanded Cloud.

Some time passed, making him wonder if he was heard.

"Because it's my job, Cloud."

"Double-crossing people who took you in like you were family? That's how you make your living?"

"I don't have a choice in the matter."

"Don't give me that shit!"

"Spare me the lecture, okay? I have a family to protect. If I have to get my hands dirty to keep them out of Shinra's campaign, then so be it. And don't pass yourself off as a saint, either. There were friends of mine among those troops you killed in Midgar. People who had children, who were weeks away from getting married, who loathed even the thought of picking up a gun. You think you have it all figured out and that you're some kind of role model wading through a mob of chocobos without heads. But you don't know the half of it, Strife, so shut your fucking mouth!" cried Shinra's minion.

Silence.

"You give back that stone and I promise you I will do whatever I can to get you out of this."

"You would never make it here in time. Sorry."

"What do you mean 'here'?"

"Look, I have a better idea. How about I get this little assignment done, we treat all of this like it was a bad nightmare, and we all go on with the journey tomorrow? No more games or gimmicks. Maybe we can sneak in after them," the voice briefly increased in volume just as the wolf in sheep's clothing passed by Cloud's eyes.

"Then there won't be a tomorrow for you!"

"Still in the dark, huh? This cat is just a puppet with strings that extend all the way back to headquarters. Very useful for missions like this one. Unfortunately, it's a luxury that she doesn't have."

Before Cloud could inquire as to the identity behind "she," the cries of a frightened little girl crackled through what sounded like a walkie talkie.

"I want to go home! I want to go HOME! PAPA!! COME BACK! I'M SCA--AHH!!"

"No! MARLENE!" exclaimed an unseen Tifa.

Once the unarmed swordsman distinguished the whir of the minigun from everything else, time partially pressed its foot down on the brake pad. Pain sensors were unplugged. The prince, in a mad dash, graced the main staircase with his presence once again and ascended the steps two at a time.

"TIFA!!" two people yelled in unison.

The older damsel in distress shielded her eyes from a bright searchlight that was provided courtesy of the chopper. Bits of plastic burst out of the boundary marking the entrance to the giant dome behind her. Another inch to the right would mean curtains for her. Cloud began to reach out for her and open his mouth to scream something. He caught a glimpse of a multi-colored cone-like window before all was lost in a mysterious jungle of smoke. Artificial thunder subsided for the last time. Almost as if on cue, an invisible newcomer spoke up.

"You can't con a con artist, tubby!"

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_Wait. Was that what she said? She usually comes out with crap like that._

He contemplated the events that transpired two hours ago as he lay in a bed that belonged to his quarters at the ghost hotel, which was now as pitch-black as a tomb. If it hadn't been for Yuffie using barrier materia, smoke bombs, and lobbing her most recent shuriken through the windshield of the helicopter, Tifa would not be softly snoring alongside him. But still, they had Marlene and the Keystone. What could he do? How was he supposed to break the news to Barret? The answers would have to be brooded over in the morning. His eyelids grew heavy and nearly impossible to resist. Any vestige of light was gone as far as his shut eyes were concerned.

"100th couple...You're a lucky man, Mr. Strife."

_You again?_

"Maybe too lucky._.."_

_Quit beating around the bush. What the Hell do you want this time?_

"Cloud, have you ever noticed anything...off about Tifa?"

_No. She's fine as far as I can tell._

"I'm not talking about right now. I'm talking about the big picture; about how every single time she's about to die, something miraculous happens that allows her to walk away."

_It's fate._

"Since when do you believe in fate, Cloud?"

_..._

"Sometimes, you just have to let people go."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yeah, I know. It wasn't the best chapter seeing as a lot of it mirrored what happened in the game, but I couldn't think of another way to make the cryptic conversation at the end pertinent. I kinda copped out near the finish with the reminiscing bit since I felt I was dragging the treason scene out a bit too long. If you feel that I made a poor choice, by all means tell me. Anyway, it gets good and a lot more original from here on out. What was advertised is what you're about to get.


	3. Separation Anxiety

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Limbs jolted. Half of a blanket leapt towards the ceiling fan. Heart working double time.

Click!

No noise save for a self-produced rhythm in his ears. Sheets rustled. He sighed and looked over at his bed. Unbelievably, Tifa was still snoring. He referred to the clock once more for the time.

_9:48. We have to be out of here by noon._

"Tifa."

Nothing.

"Come on. It's almost ten," he proclaimed, a little louder.

"Mmm, all right, all right, I'm-a..." she adjusted her blanket and stirred a bit, eyes still closed. Gentle, periodic breaths ensued moments later.

An idea came to mind that made Cloud smirk. Without warning, his legs buckled and his eyes went wide.

"Did you just feel that? Oh my god. T-Tifa...IT'S A CLOUD QUAKE!!!" he jumped as high as he could go and crash-landed onto the vacant region of the bed while shouting. Blankets exploded in every direction and were only beaten in the race to the ceiling by Ms. Lockheart.

"Cloud!" she scolded soon before landing safely on the mattress. The intruder deliberately bounced around a few times on the surface as if it was a trampoline and then simply glanced at her with a poker face as if he'd never strayed from his courteous ways. Tifa rolled her eyes and turned her back to him, appearing to try to lose consciousness yet again. Awkward silence reared its ugly head.

"AFTERSHOCK!!" Cloud shrieked. He followed up by rapidly convulsing on the bed. Another maelstrom of covers, what sounded like a wooden beam or spring breaking. It wasn't long before he took a hit on one arm and then got shoved off the bed by a certain someone's foot. Hands clutched the sheets in a failed attempt to stay on board. There was a loud thud.

"Limit Break: Tickle Attack!"

At last, the stubborn brunette abandoned ship. She fled for the door but didn't make it in time.

"No-ho-ho-ho! Sto-HA-HA-HA-HAp! Hahahahaha!" the writhing woman pinned between the spikey-headed one and another bed broke down into giggling fits. Ten fingers assaulted her exposed midriff, underarms, and the sensitive spaces behind her knees. Eventually, Cloud couldn't help but chuckle and spare her of further torture. It was the first time that he had ever made her laugh, not counting that one time she was cracking up when she witnessed his more feminine side in Corneo's hideout. Only in his Nibelheim days did he hear such music from outside his window, and it was always attributed to some vulgar joke or prank that the popular kids in town concocted.

Both having calmed down, he swooped down to kiss her and then lifted himself off of her and the bed.

"Seriously. We gotta eat and pack up now. Two hours sounds like a lot of time but it--" he began to advise, extending an arm to help her up.

"Just a little longer. Please?" she pulled him towards her instead of standing. The next thing he knew, he was somewhat sitting on the bed and caught in a strong hug. He didn't hesitate to return the show of affection.

"The others are probably--"

"I'll eat more for lunch."

"You'll blow chunks on the Bronco."

"Shh."

She pressed an index finger gently against his lips.

"This morning will never come again...so let me have this moment."

He moved the hand that silenced him to plant a kiss on the palm.

"Again with the hand, Alfred? Dost thou have a fetish?" Tifa changed her voice once more as she did in the play.

"Oh, Rosie...!" Cloud said with hunger, his voice taking on the quality of a legendary hero.

He moved in for full, dark-colored lips. She stopped him.

"It's Ros**a**, you fruit."

He shrugged as if to say, "Whatever," and leaned in, kissing her left cheek a few times, gradually making his way to her mouth. Once he met the corner of her lips, she responded. He found himself lying on top of her in mere seconds. He smiled as he withdrew his wanton tongue from the battle involving hers. She moaned.

_It's Rosa, you fruit_. The comment was presented to him yet again in his mind, jump-starting his recollection of the play for a moment. His train of thought began to stray...

"Cloud..." Tifa sighed. His lips touched her jawbone and leapt down to her throat. She shifted her head on the pillow and smiled. Muscular arms snaked their way under her upper body as their owner took the liberty of resting his head alongside her neck. He could hear a muffled heartbeat after closing his eyes.

_100th couple? You're a lucky man, Mr. Strife. Maybe too lucky..._

"I love you, too," whispered Cloud.

She ran her fingers through his inexplicably natural spikes. He never wanted this to end.

_Sometimes, you just have to let people go._

Cloud would have gladly prolonged the embrace had there not been a sudden change in the situation that he didn't bring about. Tifa's heart was no longer audible. The fingers that gently and tenderly raked through the hair on the back of his head went limp.

"Tifa?" he lifted his head to find her staring in his direction, though it seemed like she was looking through him. She wasn't blinking or breathing.

"Tifa?! Hey. Hey! Say something," he pleaded, shaking her by the arms.


End file.
